The Truth: Hi Point Firearms

[TX expat]

How does anecdotal evidence equate to the truth? My purpose for making this thread was so that all of us could get a clearer idea if Hi points in general were good enough to be used when your life counted on it. Now I do believe that the carbines are quality weapons & I wouldn't hesitate to trust my life to it's use. The pistols on the other hand may be another story. But you know what? Let us get to the truth of the matter so we can make an accurate assesment. If you do not have first hand accounts of the weapons reliability or lack thereof, you do not need to reply. I'm not trying to be a jackhole, I just want everyone to know the truth one way or the other.

My vote: Carbines yes definitly, pistols maybe.

Short answer is it equates to absolutely nothing. For all anyone knows, the photo could have been created with an insanely overcharged load that would have blown any pistol apart. Plenty of guns have suffered catastrophic failure due to that sort of thing. It's most certainly no justification for a weapon's worthiness. Were that the case, I can add a few other POS weapons that shouldn't be carried...

7889d1205106870-glock-kaboom-glock03.jpg

AMTkaboom3.jpg

kaboom_02-tfb.jpg

revolver-kaboom.jpg

But back on point to your original post. There is not going to be a "truth of the matter", so to speak, because there is no definitive truth to be found when that truth is based on subjective opinions.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ogre]

Anecdotal evidence is pretty much all you'll find about an firearm. That said, I have fired a .40 and a .45. More exp with the .40. I want a .45 just haven't found one yet. But, I have helped my friend with the 40 put near 15,000 rounds through it since he got it last summer. I have never had one explode on me, and if one has I would like to hear their story direct.

As far as the paperweight comment, a paperweight that goes bang every time in my experience.

[USPatriot]

But back on point to your original post. There is not going to be a "truth of the matter", so to speak, because there is no definitive truth to be found when that truth is based on subjective opinions.

While I get what you're saying, I have to disagree. This is largely due to the fact that experiences that deal with accuracy, reliability, etc., or whether or not a gun has flown apart under normal stress is not subjective. As an example If I'm firing a pistol & the slide comes apart for no apparent reason, that is not a subjective experience it's objective. Now if I said I think it might come apart, unless it's based off of obvious signs of severe stress, that would be subjective. I think we can get to the truth if we can have honest responses. Not saying we haven't, just saying that is what it requires.

[bunker]

How does anecdotal evidence equate to the truth? My purpose for making this thread was so that all of us could get a clearer idea if Hi points in general were good enough to be used when your life counted on it. Now I do believe that the carbines are quality weapons & I wouldn't hesitate to trust my life to it's use. The pistols on the other hand may be another story. But you know what? Let us get to the truth of the matter so we can make an accurate assesment. If you do not have first hand accounts of the weapons reliability or lack thereof, you do not need to reply. I'm not trying to be a jackhole, I just want everyone to know the truth one way or the other.

My vote: Carbines yes definitly, pistols maybe.

INHO, you cannot say maybe to a defensive weapon. If you are unsure, that is mistrust, and shouldnt be used.... thats not the case with my high point 45 pistol. If i didnt trust it, it would be sold and on to another gun. I wanted to trust my life with a Kel Tec P3AT, but it had too many malfunctions to be considered trustworthy in my opinion, hence, out the door it went. bunker

[Gideon]

I voted that they're acceptable as they are but I have my reasons for saying that. They are what they are and are fine guns for what they are but you shouldn't try to make them something they aren't. Some guns make good base guns for projects, Hi Points don't, never have, never will. They're a down and dirty cheap gun. You could say they're made to be almost a throwaway. If you want a rock bottom price for a plinker then you've found their sweetspot.

I have.......yes, I have a HiPoint 995 carbine in 9mm. I put it in an ATI aftermarket stock. I bought it for fun, that's it. Not self defense. If you want a self defense gun there are so many better quality options out there for hardly much more money that it's simply foolish and undisciplined to buy one of these for defense claiming you can't afford anything better. Sorry to be blunt but that's the way it is. If you can buy one of these and feed it ammo you can save up just a bit more and buy all kinds of WAY better quality used guns. You can step up to a Bersa which is WAY better at only a bit more.

Now, the reason I got a HiPoint 9mm carbine is that I love shooting pistol caliber carbines. I wanted a Berretta 9mm carbine but they're a lot of money and I only wanted this for plinking fun. I don't use it for defense but I have to admit, it's accurate and 100% reliable. In an ATI stock it's fun and really handy. Only weak link is poor mags that are limited to 10 rounds but for plinking it's not a problem. I got the gun so cheap that even with a Mueller recticle sight on top I still have less than $300 in the whole setup. My boy's liked to shoot it as well.

I would love to have a 9mm AR 15 but can't bring myself to spend the money on one when it really doesn't fit a need for me. so if you want a HiPoint to leave in a truck where it's going to get rusty or in an old cabin or you just want to shoot can's or such things an you only want to spend that amount then that's the one niche for the Hi-Point so for that application is acceptable as is. Just not really acceptable for anything else

[USPatriot]

INHO, you cannot say maybe to a defensive weapon. If you are unsure, that is mistrust, and shouldnt be used.... thats not the case with my high point 45 pistol. If i didnt trust it, it would be sold and on to another gun. I wanted to trust my life with a Kel Tec P3AT, but it had too many malfunctions to be considered trustworthy in my opinion, hence, out the door it went. bunker

You misunderstand. Since I haven't used one (hi point pistol), & some have said they are worthy for defense & some say they are not, for me it is a maybe they are, maybe they aren't. This tells me to go buy one & test it out.

In all honesty, according to what has been said at this point, for me the thread & poll tell me that "yes they are worthy as self defense pieces but should be a temporary solution due to the fact that the slide is not steel".

[INccwchris]

People come in looking for a cheap reliable gun, I sell em a high point. They are really decent little guns for the price that is charged for them. I personally would not use one unless I had too, but am considering one for a truck gun just in case. Never know when I might need another gun to hand to someone in my truck and if it gets stolen, im out 150 bucks

[TX expat]

While I get what you're saying, I have to disagree. This is largely due to the fact that experiences that deal with accuracy, reliability, etc., or whether or not a gun has flown apart under normal stress is not subjective. As an example If I'm firing a pistol & the slide comes apart for no apparent reason, that is not a subjective experience it's objective. Now if I said I think it might come apart, unless it's based off of obvious signs of severe stress, that would be subjective. I think we can get to the truth if we can have honest responses. Not saying we haven't, just saying that is what it requires.

I agree with everything you wrote however it's all still very subjective. Accuracy based on an individual shooter isn't objective. One guy may drive tacks with a weapon and the next guy can't hit the target with it; either way any report is more about the shooter than the weapon shot. Reliability isn't much of a factor either since you could have two dozen guys tell you it's ultra reliable and they've shot "thousands" of rounds through them and maybe only one of those guys is actually a thousand round shooter; everyone else has run a box or two of WWB through theirs (not that they'd be outright lying but folks tend to overestimate experience). Now I'll agree that if you had a whole bunch of people report that theirs blew apart on the first shot, then you'd have a big clue that it had serious flaws, but anything like that would have recalls and lawsuit information readily available and you wouldn't need a poll to get a gist of what's wrong with 'em.

I get your point of the poll and I'm not raggin' on you for trying. I'm just saying that the truth is going to be in your own experience and, even then, it's only going to be your truth. If their pistols interest you or it's what you can afford (or both), I'd say give one a try and see how it works for you. I love shooting my little carbine and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to someone looking for a "range fun" type of pistol caliber carbine. I wouldn't recommend it for elk hunting though, so it all boils down to intent and purpose. I've never shot any of their pistols and I can't say I'd be interested in buying one for carrying purposes, but that's not based on any fear that it wouldn't go bang. They are just too big, bulky and unrefined for me to consider carrying one.

[bunker]

You misunderstand. Since I haven't used one (hi point pistol), & some have said they are worthy for defense & some say they are not, for me it is a maybe they are, maybe they aren't. This tells me to go buy one & test it out.

In all honesty, according to what has been said at this point, for me the thread & poll tell me that "yes they are worthy as self defense pieces but should be a temporary solution due to the fact that the slide is not steel".

I think that is a fair statement.... works well, but could use some improvements.... sorry to misunderstand your post. bunker

[Lawlerock]

I bought my 45 when I first moved to W.V. It was affordable and I wanted some thing that I could use to defend my family. After having taken it to the gun range a couple of times I noticed that it would bottle neck and jam a lot especially when I used the more expensive cartridges. I found after a little experimentation that the cheaper aluminum ammo worked much better than the expensive winchester rounds. Al in all you get what you pay for but over all I like the gun. It is a little heavy but that gives you a little break as far as the recoil.

[Ogre]

To the nay sayers, have you ever tried one or are you going on price/youtube evidence?

As to the poster who said buy a Bersa, it's only a little bit more and a "better" gun lets look at some information I gleaned from several sources (local) and the internet:

Bersa Thunder 45 vs. HiPoint JHP45
Price (new) 399.99 vs. 179.99 (HiPoint wins)
Price (used) 215.00 vs. 159.99 (HiPoint wins)
Waranty Lifetime (non-transferrable) vs Lifetime (Transferrable) (HiPoint wins)
What is Covered: BERSA S.A. offers to service and repair any defects or malfunction in this BERSA firearm excluding the finish, grips, sights or magazine, without charge and shall be waived if the defect or malfunction was caused by neglect, abuse, careless handling, unauthorized ammunition, ordinary wear and tear, unreasonable use or failure to provide reasonable and necessary maintenance as set forth in the instruction manual. vs. ANYTHING (anecdotal experience with a friends JHP 40 that was accidentally dropped in a bucket of cement). (HiPoint wins)
Capacity: 7+1 vs. 9+1 (HiPoint wins)
Weight: 27 oz vs 35 oz (Bersa Wins)


Based on this information I would take a HiPoint over a bersa, I can get a new one cheaper than a used Bersa, even if I get a used one, the warranty transfers and covers everything. I have higher capacity, and actually the weight helps in followup shots for me.

I like what one poster said, buy one (new or used), use it 5 years, hit with a hammer and get a new gun. Heck, I just may see if I can find someone who wants to "get rid of the hunk o' junk", offer them 10 bucks, hit it with a hammer and send it off to get a new gun, repeat every 5 years...LOL

Perhaps Bersa has changed but at one time you had to send it to Brazil (?) to get fixed, that takes time, HiPoint is American made, thus repair/replacement is quicker IMHO. For a truck/car/bedside/foyer gun I cant see beating one. Heck, it is already clunky, adding a light/laser won't make it any clunkier....and as stated, you are only out $150 if it gets taken. My friend is considering painting his some funky color to make it look like a toy so as to prevent theft from his truck!

[Lawlerock]

Yes and if you run out of ammo, you can always resort back to the first weapon of man and use it like a rock.

[medic2820]

i own a 4595 ts , it is a beast! i love it! there has never been a jam ftf or fte and i have put over 1000 rounds through it. i have used everything from Hornady personal defense jhp's to blazer fmj, used 185 to 230 gr and i have had no issues. it is my SHTF gun and woould rely on it to protect my family. i added a red green dot scope to it along with a laser and forward grip. i just recently took it to the range and sighted in the scope and laser and lets just say it is dead on. i have reccomended this weapon and hi-point in general to family and friends and to me that is no better endorsement of a product than telling family and frineds. get one , take it out use it at the range , and i am sure you will feel the samae way.

[zonker1986]

Was this your gun, or was it taken off the internet?... cause i can show you pictures of "reliable" guns that have blown up and malfunctioned also. The OP wanted opinions from owners of HP's. If this was your gun, could you explain a little more how this happened? bunker

not my gun, but I've seen enough Hi-Point catastrophic failures in 20 years of shooting that I know that I would not trust my life to a gun that cost $169. Sorry if it hurts anyones feelings, but I can't speak from
personal experience because I'd rather use a sling shot than a Hi-Point.

[steelwrkr40]

I own the High Point 45 and 9MM. The 45 is Heavy, I wouldnt use it for a side arm I admit that but for just target shooting and Home Defence its reliable its never miss fired. Now the 9MM I bought new got it home and the first clip double fed right off the bat I was seriously disappointed I mean this gun was right out of the box I called Hi Point and they were very good I sent it back to have it worked on and Im currently waiting on it to return. so Im satisifed as far as the 45 it is a cheaper gun, But is fine for a home defense gun and Im since the 9MM came back its shooting flawsless Its light enough to carry also so Im fine with High Point guns just being cheaper doesnt make it a cheap gun . Thanks Bobby Cassady W.V